NIU, Rock Valley College sign reverse transfer pact

Published: Wednesday, June 4, 2014 5:30 a.m. CST

Northern Illinois University President Doug Baker and Rock Valley College President Mike Mastroianni signed an innovative reverse transfer agreement last week at the student center at the RVC main campus. The agreement allows eligible NIU students who transferred from RVC without associate degrees to earn the two-year degree using credit from NIU courses.

“Postsecondary education is a powerful force for career advancement, and a skilled workforce helps the region maintain its competitive advantage,” Baker said in a news release. “This partnership – like others we have with RVC – positions students for student career success, increasing opportunity by breaking down barriers to provide a seamless process to receive credit for work they’ve completed towards an associate’s degree.”

Regional and national data show that the associate degree is a valuable commodity. Employees with associate degrees typically earn an average of $7,200 per year more than employees with no post-secondary credentials – almost $600,000 more in salary over a lifetime.

“The benefits to our students are profound,” Mastroianni said in the release. “This agreement allows Rock Valley College to acknowledge the work our students have done to earn an associate’s degree and it is a vital step in helping us to transform our region by increasing the number of residents who have obtained a post-high school credential. They will have earned a degree which results in higher income potential and more opportunities for their future.”

This reverse transfer option is beneficial for students who have transferred from Rock Valley to NIU before earning their associate’s degree. Credits completed at NIU are transferred back to RVC and used to satisfy the degree requirements for an associate’s degree, similar to how credit is transferred from a community college to NIU, just in reverse.

“In a time when we desperately need more advanced education in our community, this agreement makes that goal easier to attain,” Mastroianni said in the release.